The City of Bath

10th March 2017

The city of Bath has been a spa town for nearly 2,000 years, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and two of Jane Austen’s novels were set predominantly in the city. Here we look at some of the places you really shouldn’t miss when you come to visit (and to find out more about tours to the city, click here):

Roman Baths – the hot springs of Bath produce over 1 million litres of hot water each day, and the Romans built a temple and baths around this sacred spring. Now a museum, visitors can marvel at the skill of the Roman engineers and admire the beautiful artefacts excavated from the site and the surrounding area.

Bath Abbey – standing at the very heart of the city, this is the third church on this site and dates from 1499. Built in warm Bath stone and with magnificent stained glass windows and delicate fan vaulting. Look out for the carvings of angels climbing a ladder to heaven on the west front.

Pulteney Bridge – designed by architect Robert Adam and completed in 1774, the view of the bridge from the Grand Parade is one of the most beautiful in the city.

Royal Crescent – the most spectacular of Bath’s Georgian crescents, the Royal Crescent was built between 1767 and 1774 by the architect John Wood the Younger. No 1 Royal Crescent is a World Heritage building and is a museum which has been decorated and furnished just as it might have been in the last quarter of the 18th century.

The Circus – another masterpiece of Georgian architecture, started by John Wood the Elder in 1754 and completed by his son in 1767.

Assembly Rooms – the heart of Georgian upper class society, the Assembly Rooms were used for dancing, gambling, music and parties. Now restored to their full glory, the site also houses Bath’s Fashion Museum.

Pump Room – the elegant surroundings of the Pump Room allow you to eat and drink in the style of our Georgian forbears. You can even try some of the spring water direct from the “King’s Spring”

Sally Lunn’s – the oldest property in Bath, Sally Lunn’s House offers the famous buns that are still made to Sally’s secret recipe.